Satellite repeater system and related methods

ABSTRACT

A satellite repeater system for a ship or barge includes a rack having dimensions that are substantially equal to a standard shipping container; and a satellite communication system located on the rack. The satellite communication system includes a first antenna located on the rack, the first antenna being configured to send and receive data from a communication satellite; and a second antenna located on the rack, the second antenna being configured to send and receive data from one or more electronic components located on the ship or barge remotely from the second antenna.

FIELD

The present invention relates to communication systems, and inparticular, to a satellite repeater system for vessels.

INTRODUCTION

Shipping containers often are used to transport goods on ships. Forexample, shipping containers (e.g., refrigerated shipping containers)can be transported on a top deck of a multi-deck Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo)barge or ship. RoRo ships or barges are vessels designed to carrywheeled cargo (e.g., cars, trucks, trailers, etc.) that are driven onand off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle ortransporter. The top deck of a RoRo can also be used to carry shippingcontainers (e.g., refrigerated shipping containers).

In the case of refrigerated shipping containers, the shipping containersare supplied with electrical power so as to cool the interior of therefrigerated shipping containers. The refrigerated shipping containersare powered by an unmanned system referred to as a “power pack.” Atypical power pack includes an Inmarsat communication system, whichprovides data services through communication with ground stations viacommunication geostationary satellites. The Inmarsat digital messageservice system is used to monitor a variety of parameters of theshipping container using sensors to determine any change in theoperational state of the shipping container.

When a refrigerated shipping container is loaded onboard of a cargo shipand the cargo ship is out of range of the on-shore cellular network, theshipping container uses a communication system to communicate data fromthe parameters measured by the sensors with a WAM server provided in thecargo ship using a local cellular system (similar to a local areanetwork WiFi). The WAM server on the cargo ship in turn communicates thedata to the on-shore WAM system via the internet through an InmarsatFleet Broadband Satellite (IFBS) system that is part of the cargo ship'scommunications system or other satellite based communication system suchas Fleet Broadband (Fleet One).

This type of communication system can be well suited for a RoRo cargoship where the shipping container is placed on the top deck and there isa direct line of sight from the communication system installed on theshipping container to a satellite. However, other types of cargo shipscan be used. For example, on a Lift-on/Lift-off (LoLo) ship whereon-board cranes or dockside cranes are used to load and unload cargo,the shipping containers are stacked on top of each other to two levelsor more (often up to five or six levels) thus forming a wall that is twoor more stories high. The power packs are typically placed directly onthe deck and are not stacked on top of other shipping containers or ontop of each other. Therefore, the power packs can be surrounded byrelatively high walls of steel formed by the stacked shippingcontainers. As a result, Inmarsat communication systems can be locatedin “steel canyons” wherein the power packs can be surrounded by the twoor more story high steel walls. For example, a “steel canyon” is oftenformed that is three shipping containers long, one shipping containerwide, and three or more shipping containers high. In this situation, thecommunication systems (e.g., an antenna of the communication systems) inthe power packs will not have a direct line of sight with a satellite orunrestricted view of the sky in the direction and elevation of thesatellite and thus would not be able to send data. The communicationpath between the communication system on the power pack and thesatellite is obstructed by the high walls formed by the surroundingshipping containers. In the event that a malfunction occurs in theoperational state of the shipping container, the power packs would notbe able to reliably communicate with the satellite and cannot generatean alert.

Furthermore, in LoLo ships, wherein shipping containers are stacked ontop of each other, there is often no appropriate safe location on theship to place a WAM communication system and power it, and there isoften no appropriate location on the ship to install an Inmarsat FleetOne communication system where the antenna of the Inmarsat Fleet One isable to “see” the satellite.

Therefore, a need remains for a communication system that providescommunication between a shipping container and a satellite that solvesthe above and other problems of existing communication systems.

SUMMARY

It was determined that by using the satellite repeater system of thepresent disclosure it is possible to more reliably achieve datacommunication between a shipping container power pack and/or a shippingcontainer and a satellite. These and other benefits of the presentcommunication system will be further appreciated in the followingparagraphs.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a satellite repeatersystem for a ship or barge. The satellite repeater includes a rackhaving dimensions that are substantially equal to a standard shippingcontainer; and a satellite communication system located on the rack. Thesatellite communication system includes a first antenna located on therack, the first antenna being configured to send and receive data from acommunication satellite; and a second antenna located on the rack, thesecond antenna being configured to send and receive data from one ormore electronic components located on the ship or barge remotely fromthe second antenna.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a ship or bargeincluding a plurality of shipping containers located on the ship orbarge; at least one power pack associated with one or more of theplurality of shipping containers; and a satellite repeater systemlocated on the ship or barge. The satellite repeater system includes afirst antenna being configured to send and receive data from acommunication satellite, and a second antenna being configured to sendand receive data from the at least one power pack.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method ofcommunicating between a satellite and one or more electrical componentslocated on a ship or barge. The method includes transmitting databetween a first antenna located on a rack having dimensions that aresubstantially equal to a standard shipping container and a communicationsatellite, the rack being located on a ship or barge; transmitting thedata between a second antenna located on the rack and one or moreelectronic components located on the ship or barge remotely from thesecond antenna; and transmitting the data between the first antenna andthe second antenna.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure, as well as the methods of operation andfunctions of the related elements of structure and the combination ofparts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent uponconsideration of the following description and the appended claims withreference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of thisspecification, wherein like reference numerals designate correspondingparts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however,that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and descriptiononly and are not intended as a definition of the limits of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional perspective view of a rack of a satelliterepeater platform (SRP), according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a satellite repeater platform, according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is a top view of the satellite repeater platform, according toan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A depicts a communication diagram of the satellite repeaterplatform, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B is an electrical diagram of components of a satellite repeatersubsystem of the satellite repeater platform, according to an embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 3C is an electrical diagram of components of a WAM subsystem of thesatellite repeater platform, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3D is an electrical diagram of components of M2M satellitemonitoring subsystem of the satellite repeater platform, according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3E is an electrical diagram of components of a power supply (solarDC power system) for powering a satellite repeater housed inside thesatellite repeater platform, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4A shows various angular orientations or elevations of solarpanels, and resulting direction of sight of a satellite antenna,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B shows the angular coverage of an indoor antenna, according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A is a lateral view of a plurality of shipping containers placedon top of a vessel or barge and the satellite repeater platform placedon top of a stack of five shipping containers, showing an angularcoverage of the indoor antenna, according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5B is a top view of the plurality of shipping containers placed ontop of the vessel or barge of FIG. 5A, where the satellite repeaterplatform is placed on top of a stack of shipping containers, showing anangular coverage of the indoor antenna, according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a mounting arm for mounting an indoor antennashown in a variety of angulations, according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure; and

FIG. 7 depicts the indoor antenna mounted to a wall of a rack of thesatellite repeater platform using the mounting arm shown in FIG. 6,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional perspective view of a rack 10 for asatellite repeater platform, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The rack 10 can include a skid 12 and a housing 14 locatedon the skid 12. In an embodiment, the rack 10 can comprise a “flatrack,” the majority of which has a flat upper surface. The rack 12 caninclude two end walls 12A and 12B projecting upwards from the skid 12(see FIGS. 2A and 2B). The rack 10 can have the footprint of aconventional shipping container. In an embodiment, a length of the rack10 is equal to a length of a standard shipping container, such as astandard International Standard Organization (ISO) container, betweenabout 10 feet and about 60 feet, for example, 20 feet, 40 feet, 45 feet,or 53 feet. In an embodiment, a width of the rack 10 is equal to a widthof a standard shipping container, e.g., a standard ISO shippingcontainer, between about 4 feet and about 16 feet, for example, 8 feet.In an embodiment, a height of the rack 10 (e.g., as defined by theheight of the end walls 12A, 12B) is equal to a height of a standardshipping container, e.g., a standard ISO shipping container, betweenabout 5 feet and about 20 feet, for example, 8 feet and 6 inches or 9feet and 6 inches. By selecting the dimensions of the rack 10 to besubstantially equal to the dimensions of a standard ISO shippingcontainer, the rack 10 can fit in a geometrical arrangement of shippingcontainers on a ship, such as a RoRo or LoLo. The housing 14 located onthe rack 10 can have the dimensions of a smaller shipping container(e.g., a length equal to about 10 feet, a width equal to about 8 feet,and height equal to about 6 feet, however other dimensions arepossible). By selecting the dimensions of a smaller shipping containerfor the housing 14, the housing 14 can fit within the envelope of therack 10. In an embodiment, the rack 10 and housing 14 are constructedusing metal and/or wood and/or other composite materials.

FIG. 2A is a side view of a satellite repeater platform 20, according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. The satellite repeater platform20 acts as a relay between a satellite and one or more power packs. Theone or more power packs are used to supply power to refrigeratedshipping containers. A power pack can have two electrical generators andan automatic load switch. One electrical generator is assigned to be theprimary electrical generator, and the other electrical generator can bea backup electrical generator in case of a malfunction of the primaryelectrical generator. Should a problem arise with the primary electricalgenerator, the primary electrical generator is shut down and the backupelectrical generator can be turned on and the load switched to thebackup electrical generator. The shipping container can also be providedwith a shipping container monitoring system to monitor a variety ofparameters of the shipping container using sensors to determine anychange in the operational state of the shipping container. Any changesin the parameters can be transmitted to a provider and appropriatealerts are provided to maintenance and management personnel. Theparameters can include, for example, temperature, location, etc.According to an embodiment, the status of each shipping container(asset) is displayed on a secure web site.

The satellite repeater platform 20 can receive a signal carrying data(e.g., temperature data, humidity data, inside the one or more shippingcontainers) from the one or more shipping container monitoring systems(including one or more temperature sensor, humidity sensor, CO₂ sensor,etc.) and relays the data to the satellite which can then transmit thedata to a terrestrial base station. Similarly, the base station can sendsignals (e.g. command signals such as a temperature adjustment signal)to the satellite which in turn transmits the signal to the satelliterepeater platform 20 which relays the signal to the one or more shippingcontainers (for example, to adjust the temperature inside the one ormore shipping containers).

The satellite repeater platform 20 can also receive a signal carryingdata (e.g., voltage data, current data, power output data, etc.) fromthe one or more power packs and relays the data to the satellite whichcan then transmit the data to a terrestrial base station. Similarly, thebase station can send signals (e.g. command signals such as a voltageadjustment signal) to the satellite which in turn transmits the signalto the satellite repeater platform 20 which relays the signal to the oneor more power packs (for example, to adjust the voltage or power outputof the one or more power packs).

The satellite repeater platform 20 includes the rack 10. The satelliterepeater platform 20 also includes a satellite repeater 22 and a powersupply 23 (e.g., including one or more solar panels 24) that provideelectrical power to the satellite repeater 22. This can be done, forexample, by electrical cables (not shown) between the power supply 23and the satellite repeater 22. In another embodiment, the power supply23 can include a stack of chargeable batteries that can be charged usingthe solar panels 24 or using electricity generated by the vessel'sengine, for example. Parts of the satellite repeater 22 are housed inhousing 14 provided on skid 12 of the rack 10. In an embodiment, thehousing 14 is mounted to the skid 12 and attached to the skid 12 usingtie-downs 15, however, other methods of attachment are possible. In anembodiment, the solar panels 24 are mounted to the skid 12 using frames25, however, again, other methods of attachment are possible. In anembodiment, the solar panels 24 can be mounted to frames 25 using hingesto allow pivoting of the panels and thus orienting the solar panels 24towards the direction of the sun. For example, in an embodiment, theframe 25 supporting the solar panels 24 can be mounted to a pole via amounting sleeve with one or more pivot points to allow orienting thesolar panels 24 with multiple degrees of freedom, supplied by DPW SOLARCorporation.

FIG. 2B is a top view of the satellite repeater platform 20, accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure. As further shown in FIG. 2B,in an embodiment, the satellite repeater platform 20 includes a powersupply 23 (e.g., including solar panels 24) and satellite repeater 22,parts of which are contained within housing 14. As shown in FIGS. 2A and2B, the housing 14 is positioned substantially at the middle of the rack10 and the solar panels 24 are placed on each side of the housing 14.This configuration provides a weight balance for the satellite repeaterplatform 20. However, it is also contemplated that the housing 14 beplaced at other positions on the rack 10, for example on the left sideor right side of the rack and the solar panels 24 placed on the oppositeside. Additionally, embodiments can omit the housing 14.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the satellite repeater 22 further includesan outdoor satellite antenna 30A and an indoor antenna 30B. The outdoorsatellite antenna 30A includes a satellite uplink/downlink “roof”antenna. The indoor antenna 30B includes a wall uplink/downlink antenna.The outdoor satellite antenna 30A is configured for uplink and downlinkcommunication data with a satellite. The indoor antenna 30B isconfigured for data communication with one or more components on thesame vessel as the indoor antenna 30B. The satellite repeater 22 alsoincludes a FleetOne Inmarsat satellite communication system Above DeckEquipment (ADE) 33 (e.g., COBHAM SAILOR antenna) and Fleet One Inmarsatsatellite communication system Below Deck Equipment (BDE) 35 (e.g.,COBHAM SAILOR terminal). WAM Fleet One ADE 33 is positioned above deck,for example, on the top wall of the housing 14. WAM Fleet One BDE 35 isprovided below deck, for example, inside the housing 14. WAM Fleet OneADE 33 and WAM Fleet One BDE 35 will be described in further detail inthe below paragraphs.

FIG. 3A depicts a communication diagram of the satellite repeater 22,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The satelliterepeater 22 includes a satellite repeater subsystem (e.g., InmarsatRepeater) 22A configured to communicate with the one or more power packs44 and with a machine-to-machine (M2M) server 102 via a satellite 100.The satellite repeater subsystem 22A is configured to relay data to/fromthe one or more power packs 44 and the M2M server 102 located on theground.

The satellite repeater 22 can also include a Wireless Asset Management(WAM) subsystem 22B configured to communicate with one or more shippingcontainers 40 and a WAM server 104 via the satellite 100. The satelliterepeater subsystem 22B is configured to relay data to/from the one ormore shipping containers 40 and the WAM server 104 located on theground. The satellite repeater subsystem 22B is configured to monitoroperational parameters on the one or more shipping containers 40.

The satellite repeater 22 can further include a M2M (e.g., SkyWaveDMR800) satellite monitoring subsystem 22C. The satellite monitoringsubsystem 22C is configured to communicate with M2M server 102 via thesatellite 100. The satellite monitoring subsystem 22C is configured tomonitor DC system voltage, fire suppression system, position, course,speed, and to generate alerts. In an embodiment, the satellitemonitoring subsystem 22C is further configured to communicate datato/from the M2M server 102 via satellite 100 using the iSat Dataservice. In an embodiment, the satellite monitoring subsystem 22C isfurther configured to send a status report periodically (e.g., every 12hours) or on-demand when polled, and to send alerts immediately upondetection of malfunction or out-of-range parameters.

FIG. 3B is an electrical diagram of components of the satellite repeatersubsystem 22A, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Inan embodiment, the satellite repeater subsystem 22A includes a satellitecommunication system 30 such as Universal Repeater SATMAX 1.1, byUniversal Repeater. The satellite repeater subsystem 22A furtherincludes an outdoor satellite antenna (satellite uplink/downlink “roof”antenna) 30A and an indoor antenna (wall uplink/downlink antenna) 30B.The outdoor satellite antenna 30A and the indoor antenna 30B areconnected to the satellite communication system 30. In an embodiment,the satellite communication system 30 is configured to send or receive asignal from the satellite 100 via the uplink/downlink outdoor antenna30A, and to send or receive a signal from one or more components on thevessel (e.g., one or more power packs 44) via indoor antenna 30B. Theoutdoor satellite antenna 30A is configured for uplink and downlinkcommunication data with the satellite 100. The indoor antenna 30B isconfigured for data communication with one or more components (e.g., thepower packs 44) on the same vessel as the indoor antenna 30B. Forexample, the indoor antenna 30B can be configured for communication withone or more power packs 44 that are provided on the vessel. The indoorantenna 30B can be used to receive monitoring or sensor data (e.g.,voltage data and/or power data of the power packs 44, etc.) from the oneor more power packs 44 and provide the monitoring data (e.g., voltagedata and/or power data of the power packs 44, etc.) to the satellitecommunication system 30. The monitoring data can include monitoringvoltage, current, and/or power output data from the one or more powerpacks 44. The indoor antenna 30B can also be used to send control datafrom the satellite communication system 30 to the one or more powerpacks 44 to control a voltage, current, and/or power output of the oneor more power packs 44.

FIG. 3C is an electrical diagram of components of the WAM subsystem 22B,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The WAM subsystem22B includes a FleetOne Inmarsat satellite communication system 300.FleetOne Inmarsat satellite communication system 300 includes Fleet OneAbove Deck Equipment (ADE) 33 (e.g., COBHAM SAILOR antenna) and FleetOne Below Deck Equipment (BDE) 35 (e.g., COBHAM SAILOR terminal). WAMFleet One ADE 33 is positioned above deck, for example, on the top wallof the housing 14. Fleet One BDE 35 is provided below deck, for example,inside the housing 14. The WAM subsystem 22B also includes a cellulardirectional antenna 37 (e.g., Cellular Yagi Antenna from L-COMcorporation), also shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, for communication withon-shore communication. In an embodiment, the cellular antenna 37 ismounted to the exterior wall of the housing 14. The cellular antenna 37can be used as a mini-cellular tower when the vessel is out of range ofa land based cellular tower farther from shore (e.g., greater than about20 miles from the shore). When close to shore (e.g., less than about 20miles from shore) the refrigerated containers 44 communicate with theWAM shore server directly using the land based cellular network.However, when the refrigerated containers 44 are farther from the shore(e.g., at a distance greater than about 20 miles from the shore), therefrigerated containers 44 communicate with the WAM subsystem 22B viathe cellular antenna 37. The WAM subsystem 22B can further includeautomatic identification system (AIS) antenna 39. AIS antenna 39 can beused to receive position data from the vessel in order to enable the onboard WAM sever to act as a cellular tower for the purpose ofcommunicating data to/from the refrigerated containers 44. This is tomeet the FCC requirement which prohibits the vessel based cellular fromoperating within range of the terrestrial cellular network to preventinterference. In an embodiment, the WAM subsystem 22B can be powered bythe power supply 23, e.g., solar panels 24. For example, the solarpanels 24 can be used to charge a battery which in turn can be used topower the WAM subsystem 22B. Embodiments can also include a chargecontroller and/or an emergency charger for initial charge in the eventof failure of the power supply 23. The satellite repeater subsystem 22Bincludes WAM Vessel Connect Unit (VCU) server 105. The WAM VCU server105 is in communication with the FleetOne Inmarsat satellitecommunication system 300 and with MS antenna 39 and cellular antenna 37.The WAM subsystem 22B uses the FleetOne Inmarsat satellite communicationsystem 300 to communicate with the satellite 100 (shown in FIG. 3A) whenthe ship or vessel carrying the satellite repeater platform 20 is at adistance from the shore greater than about 15 to 20 miles. The satellite100 relays the communication to WAM server 104 when the ship or vesselcarrying the satellite repeater platform 20 is at a distance from theshore greater than about 15 to 20 miles. However, the individualrefrigerated containers 44 communicate with the shore WAM server 104over the terrestrial cellular network, when the ship or vessel carryingthe satellite repeater platform 20 is at a distance from the shore lessthan about 15 to 20 miles. The distance up to 15 to 20 miles range isthe typical transmission distance range of terrestrial cellular towers.

FIG. 3D is an electrical diagram of components of M2M satellitemonitoring subsystem 22C, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The satellite monitoring subsystem 22C is configured tocommunicate with M2M server 102 via the satellite 100. The satellitemonitoring subsystem 22C is configured to monitor DC system voltage,fire suppression system, position, course, speed, and to generatealerts. According to an embodiment, the satellite monitoring subsystem22C includes fire system 26 (also shown in FIG. 2A), sensor interface 27and antenna and processing system (e.g., SkyWave DMR800 processor) 29.The fire system 26 (including fire sensors and/or temperature sensors,etc.) is connected to the sensor interface 27 which communicates sensordata to the antenna and processing system 29. The antenna and processingsystem 29 is in turn configured to communicate with remote land-basedM2M server 102 via the satellite 100.

FIG. 3E is an electrical diagram of components of the power supply 23for powering the satellite repeater 22, according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure. The power supply 23 includes solar panel arrays24, battery bank 72, power distribution box 73, emergency batterycharger 74, and solar charger controller 75. Circuit breaker protection(not shown) can also be provided to interrupt current flow to protectthe electrical circuitry from damage that can be caused by excesscurrent typically resulting from an overload or short circuit. Solarpanels 24 are used to charge the battery bank 72 via the powerdistribution box 73. The power generated by the battery bank 72 and/orthe solar panel arrays 24 can be output as a DC voltage out 76 to powervarious systems of the satellite repeater platform 22 includingsubsystems 22A, 22B, and 22C (see, FIGS. 3B, 3C, 3D). In case ofemergency when the solar panel arrays 24 do not provide sufficientelectrical power to charge the battery bank 72, emergency batterycharger 74 can be used to charge the battery bank 72. Solar chargercontroller 75 is used to monitor and/or control the charge of thebattery bank 72. In addition to the above electrical equipment,thermostat controlled solar powered ventilation 28 (shown in FIGS. 2Aand 2B) is provided to housing 14 containing the above electricalequipment to exhaust heat generated by various components of theelectrical equipment.

In an embodiment, the satellite repeater platform 20 can be configuredfor North-South operation by proper orientation of the solar panels.However, the orientation can be changed in accordance with a desiredoperation or mission. For example, this can be done by an appropriateorientation of the solar panels 24 so they are exposed to solar lightduring the movement of the vessel at sea. In an embodiment, all or partsof the rack 10 can be painted with a bright color (e.g., yellow ororange) to make it stand out among the shipping containers.

The satellite repeater platform 20 can be loaded onto the vessel orbarge in the same or similar fashion as any other shipping container.According to embodiments, the satellite repeater platform 20 can beloaded in a specific location to facilitate its operation. The satelliterepeater platform 20 can be off loaded with the rest of the shippingcontainers to be inspected. Similar to other shipping containers, thesatellite repeater platform 20 is placed on top of a shipping containerwith similar dimensions and held in place by its own weight and cellguides or guide rails and pins, etc.

FIG. 4A shows various angular orientations or elevations of the solarpanels 24 and the direction of sight of the outdoor satellite antenna30A, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 4A, in an embodiment, the solar panels 24 can be positioned so thatthere will be no North/South blockage (on average) at the lowest solarangle, i.e., winter solstice at the most northerly expectedposition—PHL, depicted as orientation line 24A. The satellite antenna30A is also mounted so as to have a clear view of the satellites at mostpositions of the ship, including at the most northerly expected positionas well as the PHL (Philadelphia, Pa.) position and the SJU (San Juan,PR) highest solar elevation, depicted as line 24B. Furthermore, FIG. 4Ashows the elevations of the Inmarsat antenna 30A in PHL and SJU. Theleft side of FIG. 4A shows that even at winter solstice in PHL, thesolar panel 24 is illuminated by the sun, shown as if the ship weregoing northbound. According to an embodiment, the angular coverage ofthe outdoor antenna 30A is about 180 degrees, thus enabling direct lineof sight and communication with a satellite. FIG. 4A further depicts theposition of the indoor antenna 30B. For example, in this embodiment, theindoor antenna 30B can be mounted to second end wall 12B within theconfines of the housing rack 10. An opening can be provided within theend wall 12A onto which the indoor antenna 30B is mounted to allowunobstructed communication.

As shown in FIG. 4A, in an embodiment, the solar panels 24, the antennae30A and 30B, the device for monitoring battery voltage and fire system26, the solar powered ventilator 28, etc. stay within the bounds of therack 10 so the satellite repeater system 20 can be safely lifted on andoff a vessel with a spreader. FIG. 4B shows the angular coverage of theindoor antenna 30B, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. When the satellite repeater platform 20 is placed at “level5,” e.g., on top of four shipping containers 40 on the ship or barge 42,the indoor antenna 30B allows the satellite repeater 22 to communicatewith a plurality of power packs 44 located on the ship or barge 42. Thecoverage angle of the indoor antenna 30B can be varied to cover aplurality of power packs 44. In addition, the angular elevation ofindoor antenna 30B can also be adjusted to reach or cover a specific oneor more power packs 44 as desired. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, theangular range of the indoor antenna 30B can be set to be about 35degrees taking into account a distance between the indoor antenna 30Band the position of the plurality of power packs 44. In this example,the distance between the indoor antenna 30B and the closest power pack44 is about 39 feet; the distance between the indoor antenna 30B and themiddle power pack 44 is about 75 feet; and the distance between theindoor antenna 30B and the farthest power pack 44 is about 117 feet. Forthe sake of clarity, the shipping containers that would be locatedbetween the viewer and the satellite repeater platform 20 and the powerpacks 44 are not shown in FIG. 4B so as to show the relative distancebetween the indoor antenna 30B and the plurality of power packs 44. Inaddition, the angular range of the indoor antenna 30B is also shown,which provides signal coverage of the plurality of power packs 44, fromthe closest power pack 44 to the farthest power pack 44.

FIG. 5A is a lateral view of a plurality of shipping containers 40placed on top of a ship or barge 42 and the satellite repeater platform20 placed on top of a stack of five shipping containers 40. FIG. 5A alsoshows the angular coverage 50 of the indoor antenna 30B, according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. The angular coverage 50 of theindoor antenna 30B is such that indoor antenna 30B is configured to sendand receive a signal from the closest power pack 44 to the farthestpower pack 44 relative to the position of the indoor antenna 30B. In anembodiment, the angular coverage of the indoor antenna 30B is greaterthan approximately 30 degrees. As it can be understood, the angularcoverage of the indoor antenna 30B can be adjusted to cover theplurality of power packs 44 depending, for example, on the heightposition of the satellite repeater platform 20. As shown in FIG. 5A, thesatellite repeater platform 20 is positioned on top of a column stack ofshipping containers 40. In an embodiment, the transmitted signal fromthe indoor antenna 30B in the satellite repeater platform 20 istransmitted within a steel canyon formed between two opposite stacks ofshipping containers (e.g., between the opposed walls of two adjacentrows of shipping containers) to reach the various power packs placedbetween the walls on the deck of the ship or barge 42. Only one wall isshown in FIG. 5A as the other wall is located directly behind the wallthat is shown. The angular coverage 50 of the transmitted signal isshown top to bottom in the lateral plane.

FIG. 5B is top view of the plurality of shipping containers 40 placed ontop of the ship or barge 42. FIG. 5B also depicts the satellite repeaterplatform 20 placed on top of the stack of shipping containers 40(located underneath the satellite repeater platform 20 and hence notvisible in FIG. 5B). FIG. 5B further depicts the angular coverage 52 ofthe indoor antenna 30B, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. In an embodiment, the angular coverage 52 is limited by thewidth of the canyon between adjacent rows of shipping containers. In anembodiment, the angular coverage can be estimated based on the width ofthe canyon (e.g., about 10 feet) and the distance between the indoorantenna 30B to a half-length of the closest container 40 (e.g., about 20feet). For example, the tangent of half of the angular coverage is equalto half of the width (about 5 feet) divided by half of the length of thecontainer (about 20 feet). This provides an angular coverage of theindoor antenna greater than or approximately equal to 30 degrees.

According to the embodiment shown, the satellite repeater platform 20 ispositioned on top of a column stack of shipping containers 40. Also inthe embodiment shown, the satellite repeater platform 20 is surroundedlaterally on every side, except the end having the indoor antenna 30B,by shipping containers 40. In an embodiment, the transmitted signal fromthe indoor antenna 30B is transmitted within a steel canyon 54 formedbetween two rows of walls 54A and 54B of shipping containers 40 to reachthe various power packs 44 placed between the rows of walls 54A and 54Bon the deck of the ship or barge 42. The angular coverage 52 of thetransmitted signal can be confined laterally by the walls 54A and 54Bwithin the steel canyon 54. However, the transmitted signal canpropagate lengthwise downwardly to a desired distance to reach thevarious power packs 44.

Referring to FIG. 6, the indoor antenna 30B can be mounted to the firstend wall 12A or the second end wall 12B, or both, using a mounting arm60. The mounting arm 60 can be arranged to adjust an orientation of theindoor antenna 30B to transmit and receive data from the one or morepower packs. FIG. 6 is a side view of the mounting arm 60 for mountingthe indoor antenna 30B, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 6 shows the mounting arm 60 at a plurality of differentangular orientations. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the mounting arm 60 isconfigured and arranged for angular movement to orient the indoorantenna 30B. The upper left configuration in FIG. 6 shows asubstantially vertical orientation of the mounting arm 60 to achieve aninclination of the indoor antenna 30B of 0 degree. The upper rightconfiguration in FIG. 6 shows an orientation of the mounting arm 60 toachieve an inclination of the indoor antenna 30B of about 23 degrees.The lower left configuration in FIG. 6 shows an orientation of themounting arm 60 to achieve an inclination of the indoor antenna 30B ofabout 30 degrees. The lower right configuration in FIG. 6 shows anorientation of the mounting arm 60 to achieve an inclination of theindoor antenna 30B of about 35 degrees. The bottom configuration in FIG.6 shows an orientation of the mounting arm 60 to achieve an inclinationof the indoor antenna 30B of about 90 degrees. The inclination is anangular orientation defined relative to the horizontal line.

FIG. 7 depicts an embodiment of the indoor antenna 30B mounted to wall12B using the mounting arm 60, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The mounting arm 60 is configured and arranged to enableadjusting of the angular elevation of the indoor antenna 30B to reach orcover a specific one or more power packs 44 as desired. In thisembodiment, the indoor antenna 30B comprises two antennae 30B1 and 30B2.A first indoor antenna (the upper antenna) 30B1 is an uplink indoorantenna configured to receive a signal in a broad angular coverage 70(e.g., 80 degrees). A second indoor antenna (the lower antenna) 30B2 isa downlink indoor antenna configured to transmit a signal in a broadangular coverage 72 (e.g., 80 degrees). As shown in FIG. 7, theinclination of the first and second indoor antennae 30B1 and 30B2 isabout 30 degrees from the horizontal line.

The embodiments illustrated and discussed in this specification areintended only to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use theinvention. In describing embodiments of the disclosure, specificterminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosureis not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected.The above-described embodiments of the disclosure can be modified orvaried, without departing from the invention, as appreciated by thoseskilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore tobe understood that, within the scope of the claims and theirequivalents, the invention can be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described. For example, it is to be understood that thepresent disclosure contemplates that, to the extent possible, one ormore features of any embodiment can be combined with one or morefeatures of any other embodiment.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A satellite repeater system for a ship orbarge, comprising: a rack having dimensions that are substantially equalto a standard shipping container; and a satellite communication systemlocated on the rack, the satellite communication system comprising: afirst antenna located on the rack, the first antenna being configured tosend and receive data from a communication satellite; and a secondantenna located on the rack, the second antenna being configured to sendand receive data from one or more electronic components located on theship or barge remotely from the second antenna, wherein the satellitecommunication system is configured as a communication relay to relaydata from the one or more electronic components to the satellite andfrom the satellite to the one or more electronic components.
 2. Thesatellite repeater system according to claim 1, wherein the rack has alength of about 40 feet, a width of about 8 feet, and a height of about9.5 feet.
 3. The satellite repeater system according to claim 1, whereinthe one or more electronic components located on the ship or bargecomprises a power pack configured to provide electric power to one ormore shipping containers on the ship or barge, wherein the secondantenna has an angular coverage area that covers the power pack.
 4. Thesatellite repeater system according to claim 1, wherein the one or moreelectronic components located on the ship or barge comprises sensorsconfigured to monitor physical parameters in one or more shippingcontainers.
 5. The satellite repeater system according to claim 1,wherein the rack comprises first and second end walls, and wherein thesecond antenna is mounted to the first end wall or the second end wall.6. The satellite repeater system according to claim 5, furthercomprising a mounting arm mounting the second antenna to the first endwall or the second end wall, wherein the mounting arm is configured toadjust an orientation of the second antenna to transmit and receive datafrom the one or more electronic components.
 7. The satellite repeatersystem according to claim 1, wherein the satellite communication systemfurther comprises a SATMAX system configured to receive from andtransmit a signal to the communication satellite via the first antennaand transmit and receive a signal from the one or more electroniccomponents via the second antenna.
 8. The satellite repeater systemaccording to claim 1, further comprising a power supply configured tosupply power to the satellite communication system, wherein the powersupply comprises one or more solar panels.
 9. The satellite repeatersystem according to claim 8, wherein the power supply further compriseschargeable electrical batteries configured to be charged by electricalpower supplied by the one or more solar panels.
 10. The satelliterepeater system according to claim 1, further comprising a WirelessAsset Management (WAM) subsystem, wherein the WAM subsystem furthercomprises a cellular antenna configured to communicate with individualrefrigerated containers on board the vessel when the vessel is at adistance more than approximately 20 miles from the shore.
 11. Thesatellite repeater system according to claim 1, further comprising acellular directional antenna configured for cellular communication. 12.The satellite repeater system according to claim 1, wherein thesatellite repeater is configured to be positioned on top of a columnstack of shipping containers so as to enable the second antenna to sendand receive data from the one or more electronic components located onthe ship or barge.
 13. A ship or barge, comprising: a plurality ofshipping containers located on the ship or barge; at least one powerpack associated with one or more of the plurality of shippingcontainers; and a satellite repeater system located on the ship orbarge, the satellite repeater system comprising: a first antenna beingconfigured to send and receive data from a communication satellite; anda second antenna being configured to send and receive data from the atleast one power pack, wherein the at least one power pack is placedbetween rows of the plurality of shipping containers on the ship orbarge, the one or more power packs being configured to provide power tothe one or more shipping containers or monitor parameters in the one ormore shipping containers, or both.
 14. The ship or barge according toclaim 13, wherein the satellite repeater system is located on a rackhaving dimensions that are substantially equal to the at least oneshipping container located on the ship or barge.
 15. The ship or bargeaccording to claim 14, wherein the rack has a length of about 40 feet, awidth of about 8 feet, and a height of about 9.5 feet.
 16. The ship orbarge according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of shippingcontainers includes a first row of shipping containers and a second rowof shipping containers, and the second antenna of the satellite repeatersystem is configured to send and receive data from the at least onepower pack through a passage defined between the first and second rowsof shipping containers.
 17. The ship or barge according to claim 16,wherein the second antenna has an angular coverage area that is greaterthan approximately 30 degrees.
 18. The ship or barge according to claim13, wherein the satellite repeater system further comprises a powersupply configured to supply power to the satellite communication system,wherein the power supply comprises one or more solar panels andchargeable electrical batteries configured to be charged by electricalpower supplied by the one or more solar panels.
 19. A method ofcommunicating between a satellite and one or more electrical componentslocated on a ship or barge, the method comprising: transmitting databetween a first antenna located on a rack having dimensions that aresubstantially equal to a standard shipping container and a communicationsatellite, the rack being located on a ship or barge; transmitting thedata between a second antenna located on the rack and one or moreelectronic components located on the ship or barge remotely from thesecond antenna; and transmitting the data between the first antenna andthe second antenna, wherein transmitting the data between the secondantenna located on the rack and one or more electronic componentslocated on the ship or barge comprises transmitting the data to one ormore power packs placed between rows of shipping containers on the shipor barge, the one or more power packs being configured to provide powerto the one or more shipping containers and/or monitor parameters in theone or more shipping containers.
 20. The method according to claim 19,further comprising providing electric power to one or more shippingcontainers on the ship or barge, and monitoring physical parameters inone or more shipping containers located on the ship or barge.